Suction cleaning apparatus



Feb. 9, 1943. c. H. TAYLOR SUCTION CLEANING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed June 6, 1940 INVENTOR CH4 RL 5-5 H. 7ZVLOI2 FIG- 3- WITNESSES:

ATTORNEZ Feb. 9, 1943. TAYLOR 2,310,268

SUCTION CLEANING APPARATUS Filed June 6, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 uni/kw WWITNESSES: INVENTOR a I i 42 CHARLES H. My/Lo ATTOR Y latented Feb. 9,1943 SUCTION CLEANING APPARATUS Charles H. Taylor, Springfield, Mass.,assignor to Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company, EastPittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application July 6, 1940,Serial No. 344,214

8 Claims.

My invention relates to suction cleaning apparatus, more particularly toan improved attachment adapter for suction cleaner nozzles whereby aflexible suction hose provided with a hand nozzle or tool may bedetachably connected to a suction cleaner nozzle for the cleaning ofupholstery, curtains, and the like, and has for an object to provideimproved apparatus of this kind.

v A further object is to provide an improved at tachment adapter whichis more readily attachable to anddetachable from suction cleanernozzles.

A further object it to provide an attachment adapter which may bereadily attached to or detached from the nozzle of a suction cleanerwithout having to remove parts of the cleaner, that is, without havingto remove parts such as the brush roll belt or cover plates.

A more specific object is to provide an improved attachment adapterhaving automatic latching means for fastening the same to suctioncleaner nozzles. v

These and other objects are effected by my invention as will b apparentfrom the following description and claims taken in accordance with theaccompanying drawings, forming" a part of this applicaticn,in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, with parts in section, of a suction cleaner,having my novel attachment adapter connected thereto;

Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the attachment adapter and the carpetguard to which it is con- --*nected, the suction cleaner being omittedfor clarity of illustration;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the attachment adapter;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line IV-IV of Fig. 2, but showingthe nozzle whi h is not shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line VV of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line VI-VI of Fig. 2,but showing the nozzle which is not shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line VIIVII of Fig. 4;and,

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of a suction cleaner h ving another form ofmy attachment adapter connected thereto.

Referring to Fig. 1 in detail, I show my improved attachment adapterconnected to what might be termed a standard type suction cleaner [2.The cleaner comprises a motor housing I3 and a nozzle structure I4. Theterm nozzle structure as used herein includes a nozzle l8 which is anintegral part of the cleaner and a carpet guard 20 which may beremovablyattached to the nozzle l8. The cleaner is provided with wheels23 for supporting the same on the surface being cleaned, and the usualhandle 24 and dust bag 25, the handle and the bag being broken away inFig. 1.

The carpet guard 20 comprises a pair of side lips 21 and a pair of endlips 28 which define the inlet to the cleaner nozzle. The side lips 2-!are joined near their centers by a cross member 29. When the carpetguard is used with a cleaner having a center belt drive brush roll, thismember serves as a guard to prevent strings and other foreign matterfrom becoming entangled with the driving belt. Substantially verticalside walls 32 and end walls 33 are formed integral with the outer edgesof the lips 21 and 28, respectively. Each end wall 33 is provided with astud or projection 34, the purpose of which will be more fully explainedhereinafter. The carpet guard 20 may be attached to the nozzle 3 of thecleaner in any satisfactory manner. In the particular embodiment shown,it is clipped over the end of the nozzle and is held in place thereon byspring force and friction between the walls of the nozzle [8 and thewalls 32 and 33 of the carpet guard 20.

It is to be understood that if it is desired to use the attachmentadapter with a cleaner which is not equipped with a carpet guard, theprojections 34 may be provided on any convenient por tion of the nozzleof the cleaner.

The attachment adapter includes a bottom wall 35, a pair of inclinedside walls 36, and a pair of substantially vertical end walls 31 whichform a trough or pan 38-forreceiving the nozzle structure I when theattachment adapter is attached to the suction cleaner. The side Walls 36include portions 43 which act as guides to aid in properly positioningthe nozzle structure in the pan. The end walls 31 extend below the planeof the bottom wall 35 and provide legs 39 for supporting the adapterwith the bottom wall 35 disposed above the plane of the surface on whichthe hose connector is used, see Fig. 3. The legs 39 are reinforced bywebs 40 which are attached thereto and to the bottom wall 35. A ledge 56is integral with one of the side Walls 36 of the pan. A tubular hoseconnection 42 communicates with the interior of the pan 38 and providesmeans for attaching the usual hose 44, to the end of which a hand toolor nozzle may be connected.

Referring to Fig. 8 which shows a second embodiment of my attachmentadapter, the legs 38 are provided with wheels 45 which are attached tothe legs 39 by means of axle 48 on which the wheels rotate. The wheels45 provide a support for the front of the cleaner when the attachmentadapter is attached thereto and enables the cleaner and attachmentadapter assembly to be more readily drawn about by the hose 44.

As seen from Figs. 2 and 3, the tubular hose connector is offsetfrom-the center of the pan 38. It will be apparent that with thisarrangement a more direct path of suction to the hose 44 is providedthan would be possible if the hose connector entered the pan 38 at thecenter thereof. If it entered the pan at the center, it would be obviousthat the path of suction would be obstructed to a certain extent by thecross member 29.

A latching mechanism 41 for securing the attachment adapter to thenozzle structure is pivoted to the legs 39 by means oi rivets 4|, asshown best in Figs. 4 and 5. The latching mechanism includes arms 48which extend vertically and arms 49 which extend horizontally from therivets 4|. The arms 48 extend through slots 50 in the bottom wall of thepan 38, and project into the pan. They are provided with a cam surface52 and a latching portion 53. The arms 48 are normally biased intolatching position by coil springs 54 which are carried in apertures inthe legs 39, as shown best in Figs. 4, 6 and 7.

The arms 49 are connected by a common member 51 which is providedintermediate its ends with a handle portion 55 for moving the latchinmechanism to unlatching position. As seen from the drawings, the arms 48and the member 51 for substantially a U-shaped yoke which is pivoted ona common axis through rivets 4|. The member 51 extends along the outsideof the pan 38 and is concealed by the ledge 58, except at the handleportion 55. As shown on the drawings, in Figs. 2 and 3, the handleportion 55 is positioned over the tubular connector 42, an is providedby forming an arch in the member 51. In this position, the handleportion 55 is easily accessible to the operator, and the operator mayreadily manipulate it with either hand or foot to release the latchingmechanism.

The end walls 31 of the pan 38 and the ledge 56 serve as a guard toprotect the latching mechanism 41 from shock or accidental disengagementwhich might be occasioned by bumping furniture or other articles whenthe cleaner is v pulled about by the hose.

To connect my attachment adapter to a suction cleaner, the attachmentadapter is placed on the floor, the cleaner is slightly tilted, so as toraise the nozzle from the floor, then the cleaner is wheeled up to theattachment adapter and the nozzle structure i4 is lowered into the pan38. The latching arms 48 being biased into latching position by thesprings 54, the projections or buttons 84 on the end walls 33 of thecarpet guard will contact the cam surfaces 52 of the arms 48. The weightof the nozzle structure will be sumcient to overcome the bias of thesprings 54, and the arms 48 will be rotated out of the path of theprojections 34. When the nozzle structure reaches its operating positionin the pan, the latching portions 53 of the arms 48 will snap over theprojections 88, and thereby latch the adapter to the nozzle structure.The "cleaner may be pulled about by the hose 44, and

there be very little possibility of the adapter becoming detached, forthe springs 54 bias the 48 towards latching position at all times. 75

To detach the attachment adapter from the cleaner, the operator merelypresses upon the handle portion 55, which operation rotates the arms 48to disengage the latching portions 53 from the projections 34, then thecleaner is tilted slightly backwards to raise the nozzle structure outof the pan 38. After the nozzle structure has been raised clear of thepan, the cleaner may be wheeled away from the hose connector,

or the hose connector may be withdrawn from under the nozzle.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that I have provided alatching means for fastening an attachment adapter to a suction cleanernozzle which is automatic in latching, and very simple and easy tounlatch.

While I have shown my invention in several forms, it will be obvious tothose skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptibleof various other changes and modifications without departing from thespirit thereof, and I desire, therefore, that only such limitationsshall be placed thereupon as are specifically set forth in the appendedclaims.

What I claim is;

1. In combination, a suction cleaner including a nozzle structure, anattachment adapter adapted to be attached to said nozzle structure, saidadapter comprising a hose connection by means of which a cleaning toolmay be attached to the same and means providing a passage from the inletof said nozzle structure to said hose connection, means pivoted to saidadapter and operable automatically to engage a portion of said nozzlestructure to latch said adapter to said nozzle structure when the latteris placed in operative position relative to said adapter, and a handlewhich is readily accessible to the operator and operatively associatedwith said latchtion, and a single member readily accessible to theoperator of the cleaner, and coacting with said first and secondlatching means, for moving said latching means to unlatch saidattachment adapter from said nozzle structure.

3. In combination, a suction cleaner including a nozzle structure, anattachment adapter adapted to be attached to said nozzle structure, saidadapter comprising a hose connection by means of which a cleaning toolmay be attached to the same and means providing a passage from the inletof said nozzle structure to said hose connection, means pivoted to saidattachment adapter for latching the same to said nozzle structure, saidlatching means being so constructed and positioned that as said nozzleis placed in operative position relative to said adapter the weight ofsaid nozzle will cause said latching means to engage a portion of saidnozzle structure thereby latching said adapter to said nozzle structure,separate means normally biasing said latching means toward latchingposition, and a device that is readily accessible to the operator or thecleaner from above and operatively associated with said latching meansing a nozzle structure, an attachment adapter to be connected to saidnozzle structure, said adapter comprising a hose connection by means ofwhich a cleaning tool may be attached to the same and means providing apassage from the inlet of said nozzle structure to said hose connection,latching means pivoted to said attachment adapter near each of its endsfor engaging portions of said nozzle structure thereby tastening saidattachment adapter to said nozzle structure, means for biasing saidlatching means toward latching position, and a u-shaped member pivotednear its ends on a common axis and operatively associated with saidlatching means so that when rotated it moves said latching means tounlatch said adapter from said nozzle structure.

5. In combination, a suction cleaner having an oblong nozzle, an oblongattachment adapter adapted to be connected .to said nozzle, saidattachment adapter including a hose connection by means of which acleaning tool may be attached to the same and means providing a passagefrom the inlet to said nozzle to said hose connection, latching meanspivoted to said attachment adapter near its ends for automaticallylatching said attachment adapter to said nozzle when placed in operativerelation thereto,

means normally biasing said latching means towards latching position,and a single element located in such position that it may be readilymoved by the operators foot to unlatch said latching means.

6. In combination, a suction cleaner having an oblong nozzle, an oblongpan attached to said nozzle structure, said pan having a hose connectioncommunicating with the interior thereof by means of which a cleaningtool may be attached to said pan, latching means pivoted to said pannear each end thereof, said latching means be-- ing located within theperipheral boundary of said pan, spring means for. biasing said latchingmeans towards latching position, and a single member coacting betweensaid latching means and located in such position that it may be readilymoved by the operators foot to unlatch said latching means.

7. In combination, a suction cleaner including an oblong nozzle, anoblong pan attached to said nozzle, said pan having a hose connectioncommunicating with the interior thereof by means of which a cleaningtool may be attached to said pan, latching means pivoted to said pan"near each end thereof, compression spring means located near each endof said pan for biasing said latching means towards latching position,and a single member coacting between said latching means and located insuch position that it may be readily moved by the operators foot tounlatch said latching means.

8. Anoblong attachment adapter that rests on the floor and engages thenozzle of a suction cleaner, said adapter including a hose connection bymeans of which a cleaning tool is attached to the inlet of the cleanernozzle, devices pivoted to said adapter near its ends for automaticallyengaging the nozzle of the cleaner when it is placed in operativeposition relative to the adapter for latching said adapter to thenozzle, means biasing said latching devices towards latching position,and a device coacting between said latchingdevices and so positionedthat the operator of the cleaner may readily move the same towards thefloor on which the adapter rests with the foot to unlatch said latchingdevices.

CHARLES H. TAYLOR.

